• A Day in Astronomy: The Founding of the European Space Agency

    On this day in 1975, the European Space Agency (ESA) was founded after the combination of  the European Space Research Organisation (ESRO) and the European Launcher Development Organisation (ELDO). Ten countries were part of this new organization, which has since grown to 22 members (noted below). The Agency also has associate members and other cooperating partners.…

  • Two Space Stations, Two Stories

    This week astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) said goodbye to the second set of private astronauts who are part of the Axiom Space mission, while China sent its first non-military astronaut to its Tiangong space station. It is not surprising that China started out with military astronauts. NASA also recruited from the US…

  • NASA TV: Stay Tuned In

    If you cannot find anything worthwhile on regular television, don’t forget that NASA continues to broadcast key events on its own television station, including this week’s meeting on UFOs, now called “unidentified anomalous phenomena,” or UAPs. Here is the latest schedule for NASA TV: Tuesday, May 309 a.m. – Coverage of hatch closure for the Axiom…

  • Volunteer Opportunity: Astronomer in Residence

    Looking for something to do next summer? How about being the Astronomer in Residence at the Grand Canyon? You can share your love of astronomy with the public on a regular basis. Doesn’t that sound like fun? Here is more information on the position itself: Grand Canyon Conservancy’s (GCC) Astronomer-in-Residence program supports astronomers and dark-sky…

  • Space Quote: Losing Our View of the Starry Night

    “In 2016, astronomers reported that the Milky Way was no longer visible to a third of humanity and light pollution has worsened considerably since then. At its current rate most of the major constellations will be indecipherable in 20 years, it is estimated. The loss, culturally and scientifically, will be intense.” -Statement in an article in The…

  • Second TROPICS Launch a Success

    The second and final TROPICS satellites, also known as Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats, were launched late yesterday via a Rocket Lab rocket in New Zealand. The first pair were launched earlier this month. Rocket Lab sent out this message: Payload deployment confirmed! Congratulations to the launch team on our 37th Electron…

  • Pic of the Week: Stellar Birth in NGC 1333

    This week’s image is from the Hubble Space Telescope. It captures the colorful, star-filled NGC 1333, which is about 960 light-years away. Quite a lot is going on in this image – both seen and unseen. This explanations from the European Space Agency (ESA) will hopefully answer many of your questions regarding this image: Hubble’s…

  • Television: Stars on Mars

    The silly reality shows are now reaching for the stars, or at least a distant planet, with William Shatner leading the way. Fox’s new program Stars on Mars, premiering on June 5th, will feature numerous celebrities trying to survive in a “Mars-like” atmosphere. Planned guests include Lance Armstrong, Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon, professional football player…

  • Space Stories: Threats to Artemis, Two Saudis Visit the ISS, and Signs of the Japanese Lunar Crash

    Here are some recent stories of interest. —Axios: “NASA Return to the Moon Could be Imperiled by Politics“ Efforts to insulate Artemis from possible cuts, delays and cancellation are facing a major test with the current budget fight on Capitol Hill. If NASA’s funding is stalled at the 2022 enacted level or reduced, agency administrator Bill Nelson has…

  • Podcast/Book Review: Jesuits Find an Exoplanet to Explore

    If you are looking for a new podcast as well as a new book, the two come together via the podcast Alienating the Audience. Comedian Andrew Heaton and his buddies have plenty of fun poking various science fiction topics, including Star Wars and Star Trek. One of the recent episodes discussed a new book, The…